


Assumptions Makes An Ass Out Of You And Me

by misbehavingvigilante



Series: Tales Inspired by the Discord Year 1 [34]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Infertility, M/M, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Tony Stark, Sexism, Team as Family, Unwanted Pregnancy Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 08:30:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21473062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/pseuds/misbehavingvigilante
Summary: In which Tony thinks Steve is an Alpha but he never actually asks and the ensuing chaos that happens because of this one (1) miscommunication.
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Avengers Team, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Tales Inspired by the Discord Year 1 [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1213668
Comments: 22
Kudos: 187





	Assumptions Makes An Ass Out Of You And Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [janonny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janonny/gifts), [AvengersNewB](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvengersNewB/gifts).

> Clarification on tags. There is rape in this story, but it is NOT between ANY of the Avengers. It's discussed for a few paragraphs, but it is something that happens in a Clint's backstory in this. As well as this is where the referenced abortion comes in as well, which is briefly discussed. 
> 
> Infertility comes into play with Tony's backstory who I gave a reproductive illness that impacts infertility and eventually he gets himself sterilized as part of a treatment plan. It is VOLUNTARY, and something he wants but it does highlight how sterilization when desired can be hard to get. Natasha's infertility is of course something she was given no choice in regards to as something I actually took from canon for once. And Steve as well happens to be infertile due to various complications of his pre-serum self and the serum not magically fixing everything. This is more subtle throughout the fic, but he's okay with this. 
> 
> Sexism tag is in regard to the sexism one would see in the world a/b/o, hence why I used the tag since I would be addressing it heavily. 
> 
> If I forgot anything, or if you think I need to add a tag just let me know and I'll add it. 
> 
> With that said, enjoy!

The thing is, Tony doesn’t ask.

It’s probably the asshole thing to do is not to ask, and just assume particularly when it’s been drilled into his head that you cannot always tell what someone’s dynamic is just by looking at them. Yes, there is some degree of markers commonly associated with a dynamic but that never shows up in one hundred percent of the time.

It’s possible he’s just projecting since they haven’t really gotten along, it’s easier to think it’s just because Steve is an Alpha, so of course, they’re not getting along.

It also absolves Tony of blame, which some small part of him chimes in, with the fact it wasn’t just Steve’s fault but his as well. Or really, in truth, it was Loki’s fault and the magical stone to begin with, but that’s just splitting hairs. The point was they both said some bad things about each other, and that had soured with relationship.

Given his past and not so past experiences with Alphas just being the absolute worst with their superiority complexes, and the idea somehow because he was an Omega, he was lesser, well, he wasn’t keen on apologies.

He’d worked with plenty of people before he didn’t like. He could keep it civil.

The problem is two-fold. One, Steve is unduly attractive, and the idea of making an exception of his no Alpha rule crosses his mind merely because well, one ride on that surely would be worth it, right? It’s not like pregnancy was even an option for him given he was infertile. Honestly the idea that sex could be tied at all to pregnancy was pretty annoying. Of course, evolution worked in horny ways so it would make something feel good in the hopes of convincing people to reproduce.

A right bastard evolution was but then there was the godsend that was birth control.

Though admittedly, Tony had been an odd case. He’d been on birth control since he was a teenager, which actually had nothing to do with his promiscuity, though people still believed that correlation which was annoying as fuck.

It had more to do with the fact, he had a legitimate reproductive disorder, and birth control assured he was healthy enough to actually contribute to society rather than being squirrelled away in his room, in pain and suffering because things were growing in his body, that were never meant to be there in the first place.

It also meant because of that, he had to get sterilized for health reasons. As rich and as well connected as he was, and even when it was negatively impacting his health to have the capacity to carry the child, it had still been an uphill battle.

Some things were valid to bring up, the fact that sterilization could come with medical risks in the procedure alone or with what came after the fact meant certain health conditions could be more common and thus something to keep an eye on.

What however wasn’t valid to bring up is if hypothetical partner wanted children. What the fuck did he care about that? He was barely managing to run a company as it was with bigots all around doubting him, being patronizing to him, and on top of there was discomfort and pain.

So much pain and discomfort that Tony wasn’t sure if he had experienced a pain free day in his life since he was a child.

If a hypothetical partner wanted biological children of their own, well, then, they could just go find someone else. He wouldn’t find a match in anyone that prioritized continuing their genes above his own health and wellbeing.

Needless to say, Tony had been furious and very stubborn and got what he wanted in the end. He also had been sure to publically support and donate large amounts of money to any reproductive organization around that was legitimate because for fuck sakes, there was no reason it should be this difficult.

That’s one decision pre-Afghanistan that he could look back and not regret at least. Tony didn’t have a lot of those.

Which brought him to the second part, of the two-fold problem. For whatever reasons, Steve seemed to be interested in him. Which was flattering on one hand, but also very confusing. It was public knowledge that he was sterile.

Even if he hadn’t been, the odds of a conceiving a child were relatively small, and to do so healthily? Also relatively small.

Since Steve was from the 40s, he would have expected that to have been a turn off enough that he wouldn’t have had to deal with such attention. Apparently, Steve was more progressive than he thought which well, it was good to know.

If it was true, that is.

Old fashioned values in his experience were very far from a good thing. He’d heard from a lot of companies that Stark Industries was not the right fit for them because of said values. To which, well, Tony didn’t want much to do with those people to begin with, so it was a win-win.

“Would you want to?”

Ah, yes, Tony forgot Steve was actually having a conversation with him at this moment. Too lost in his own head. Steve had come down to the lab, his sanctuary that he surprisingly became okay with Steve being down here with him over time and had wanted to talk to him.

In hindsight, Tony should have known without any coffee or food that Steve occasionally brought down to him, or even a sketchpad hat Steve used to keep himself busy that this wasn’t going to be a conversation that he really wanted to have.

What was a polite way to say he didn’t do Alphas? Then again, had he ever cared about being polite?

“How much do you know about me, again?” Tony asked, curious. He knew Steve generally prefer getting his news from physical things like the newspapers or television rather than the instant digital drop feed of the internet.

Perhaps, he wasn’t researching Tony out of some weird sense of privacy?

As if Tony had really ever had privacy since he was born.

“I don’t understand.” Steve looked puzzled. It was somewhat of a cute look on him, which Tony had to mentally berate himself for thinking how Steve furrowed his eyebrows together or the downwards slope of his frown, nearly a pout looked. “Isn’t that part of the reason to date? To get to know each other better?”

“You know I’m sterile, yes?”

“Do you really think I’m so much of an asshole that would actually matter to me?” Steve looked offended, the sort of righteous offended he got when someone was being a bully. Ah, this was going to end badly.

Tony took a long sip of the coffee out of his mug. It had long gone cold and stale, but right now, he didn’t care about that.

Coffee made everything better.

Coffee was magic like that.

Apparently, Steve took it as a dismissal or an admission with how he stalked off in angry huffs. No doubt off to damage even more gym equipment. Tony would have to order more.

He’d gotten what he wanted, but on the other hand, he still felt like the asshole here.

~

“I can offer up much more of a fight.” Natasha suggested, her silent presence appearing behind him. He hadn’t even heard the doors open behind him or her careful footsteps.

Steve gritted his teeth, biting back a response of he didn’t want to hurt her knowing that response would only put him on Natasha’s bad side. She had, and could hurt him. That much was obvious, but he still had the serum that made him much more of a threat than normal.

He didn’t like the fact he could accidentally hurt people without meaning to.

“Well, you held back the thought at least.” Natasha patted his shoulder reassuredly. “One day, I’ll train you out of having the response at all around me. We don’t have to talk about what this is, even though I can tell that this is the I’m angry about something Tony did, again. We can just spar.”

“The not talking about it part sounds great.”

“Ah, yes, you are just like Clint. Why communicate when something is wrong when you can fight away the feelings instead?”

“…I feel like I should be insulted on Clint’s behalf.” Steve knew Clint was still having a rough time after the whole Loki debacle but he seemed to be doing much better nowadays.

Even if Steve still didn’t know what the relationship was between him and Natasha, only that they were both old friends and both were Betas, at that. SHIELD had a relatively high rate of Betas in their rank compared to other military organizations which tended to court Alphas.

Betas had no heats or ruts to worry about. They were easy to overlook and supposedly easy to overwhelm, if just a little more challenging than an Omega. Naturally, that was very far from the truth.

Dynamic had very little to do with skill.

“Don’t be. I am insulted enough on his behalf. He is my burden to bear.”

Steve didn’t have any time to question what that meant before there was a high kick aiming at his head, and suddenly everything else but sparring with Natasha started to fade away since she was nothing if not an adept fighter.

~

“Well, I know, I didn’t piss in your cornflakes.” Clint said in lieu of a normal greeting.

“The way you say that makes me think you’ve done this before.” Tony was only turned off the cereal for a moment before he began eating it again. Jarvis would have warned him if Clint had done just that, but well, even if he had, Tony had probably digested worse in MIT.

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” Clint shrugged, taking a seat next to Tony. “So you want to have a talk about feeeeelings?” He stretched out the word to be as annoying as possible because while he might genuinely care about Tony’s wellbeing, he was also an asshole.

It was also a good way to gauge if Tony had been drinking on the sly or not judging by how he reacted to high pitched, elongated noise.

Tony groaned, and covered his ears, his spoon forgotten as it clattered on the table.

Clint narrowed his eyes, bingo.

“Why are you such an asshole?”

“Well, you’re also an asshole so I don’t think you get to judge me.” Clint stuck out his tongue like the immature brat, he could very well be. “Besides, I’m bored, if it’s not you, then it’s Dum-E I’ll play with, and I seem to recall you thinking I was a bad influence on your bot.”

“You are.” Tony agreed without hesitation. “So much of his bad behavior, I have traced back to you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Clint whistled innocently. “But if you’re not busy, then we can go watch a movie, make fun of the bad special effects, and throw popcorn at each other?”

“I’d rather eat the popcorn since it seems you have a grudge against cornflakes.”

“Cornflakes dude has a grudge against horny people, I’m surprised you eat them to begin with. Unless there’s a certain reason you’re eating them?” Clint pried, because that was also what he did.

Tony stood up quickly, too quickly. “Movie time it is.”

Clint chuckled.

~

“Did they have an argument, again?” Bruce asked, sounding tired but then again, that was his usual state. Always tired of someone, something, somewhere trying his patience and bringing him closer to growing green and angry.

“Aye, it seems that way.” Thor nodded solemnly. “Perhaps the good Captain was rejected?”

“Doesn’t seem the type to get angry when rejected, and then Tony is moping around as well.” Bruce sighed. That hinted at something more than just a simple rejection, more than likely there was some kind of miscommunication going on since those two loved to misunderstand each other. “I didn’t think joining the Avengers, I’d be subjected to such relationships whims.”

Bruce rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. He was mildly surprised when the scent of one of his favorite teas was pushed towards him.

He raised an eyebrow. “You know what kind of tea I prefer?”

“Yes, of course. I know all of my friends preferred beverages.” Thor beamed.

It was difficult to be upset around Thor when he got like that so Bruce just smiled back. He sipped his tea, finding the temperature and the seeping to be quite good as well. “Jane must love you a lot if you can remember what she likes to drink.”

“Ah, yes. It changes depending on her mood. When she is frustrated, she tends to like sweeter drinks, when she is exhausted, she doesn’t like anything fancy, and will just drink from the coffee pot.”

“A lot like Tony in that regard.”

“Very much so.” Thor nodded. “Darcy will drink after her regardless. Erik does not tend to like such things, but he will.”

“In the name of science, you end up doing a lot of things you shouldn’t.”

Worst of all trying to recreate super soldier serum that gave you a permanent case of the green monster, and best of all, drinking questionable things because you are just so very tired, but there is work to be done.

~

Then their job comes calling as it often does, for once it’s not at an inopportune time as it was something of an unspoken agreement not to bring in whatever arguments they were having inside of the tower outside into the field.

Tony and Steve had been somewhat but not really at all discreetly avoiding each other, giving a wide berth of space while in the Tower. Steve no doubt achieved that with the serum giving him enhanced senses and thus a way to pinpoint where someone was or wasn’t.

And Tony had Jarvis at his back as always. Feeding him the information so he could plot his trek through his own damn tower carefully so he just had missed a lovelorn super solider.

It was a blessing to have a sort of ceasefire of animosity because of the outside world needing the Avengers to clean up their shit. Maybe, animosity wasn’t the right word.

Like this it feels like they can work out whatever is going on in their personal lives given they work so well together when they’re out doing Avengers things. Tony doesn’t hesitate to take Steve’s offered hand to help pull him up the busted street he had landed against.

There’s a lot of damage to the back of the Iron Man Armor, metal showing where red and gold usually should cover thanks to the impact of colliding with the road. Although his armor did its job and kept him safe, so Tony can’t really complain about needing the patch-up job.

That and well, even if they’re fighting, he’s still always a little impressive that Steve can handle him with the same strength as if he’s not wearing the armor at all. The serum is really in truth impressive, he has questions, but he doesn’t ask them because he knows that’s not polite and the last thing he wants to do is treat Steve like a lab experiment.

Particularly after their first meeting being what it is.

His thirst for scientific knowledge knows no bounds, but Tony knows that there are things you can and can’t ask without crossing a line.

“Thanks.” Tony pulls the faceplate up because he knows that Steve prefers it when he can check for visual injuries after battle, since Tony maybe has a habit of lying about it.

“Was that so hard?” Steve cocked a smug smile. Granted, it was still a nice smile despite the fact that Steve is slowly conditioning him to volunteer things like how over wellbeing. It makes Tony hope that they can behind this whole romantic nonsense and just stay friends.

Steve is caring and kind, and very beautiful, but he’s still an Alpha.

He doesn’t need that kind of trouble in his life.

~

Of course, naturally, as the press is prone to do at the slightest, slightest mention of an Alpha and an Omega having even the barest hint of cordiality between them – they print a story about a blossoming romance on the battlefield.

They use the picture of when their hands are still intertwined, they do however fail to mention, that the only reason they had been holding hands in the first place was because Steve was helping him off the ground. It seems like an important tidbit of information, for context, but rather then it just implies that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other even when the city needed saving because their pull towards one another was just that compelling.

The caption has Tony seething. ‘The magnetic pull of Alpha and Omega’

It isn’t the mature thing to do in the least, and it won’t change anything, but the rage he feels at being identified solely as an Omega, never mind the fact, he and Steve are so popular, isn’t it like there need to be a title, or a name attached to the picture.

It’s also the fact that they can get away with that caption. That no one would think to question it because of course the Alpha and Omega would get together. Of course, they would because it wasn’t like any other relationship was valid. Alphas claimed Omegas, and Betas stuck to each other if anyone even noticed them in the first place.

So he sets the paper on fire because it’s his tower, and he doesn’t need a lighter to set something on fire, he has his mind, and a million different ways to craft anything, anything at all into a weapon.

Distantly, he’s pretty sure he hears Jarvis cautioning himself against such drastic measures, as if the tower isn’t equipped with sprinklers, or that they don’t have fire extinguishers. Tony didn’t set it on fire on the kitchen table, he had the decency to set it aflame in a trashcan like normal people.

“Okay.” Bruce says slowly, the same tone of voice that all of them use when encountering a frightened civilian or someone they’re not such is a threat to themselves or not. “I see we’re playing caveman this morning. Is there any particular reason why?”

“I like fire?” It’s not really a lie.

“Tony.” Bruce said, coaxing.

“I hate what the press latches onto just because me and Steve have one nice moment together doesn’t mean there’s anything between us!” His voice carries because he gets progressively louder towards the end, his anger not nearly as sated by the fire as Tony would have hoped.

“Okay. Let’s just calm down.”

Tony doesn’t fail to see the irony in Bruce, the one with anger issues telling him to calm down. He’d find this funny in any other set of circumstances but his humor is all but dried up right now.

“No. I have to go yell at my legal department, so they can go yell at the press to remove this shit. I’m disgusted.” Tony hands curl into fists, he feels the press of blunt nails against the underside of his hands, and he presses and presses in, until he feels the sting of blood. “How many times do I have to tell these idiots I don’t do Alphas? Why do they never believe me? Is it because they think because I’m an Omega that it means I’m automatically compelled towards them? That free will is just an illusion and it just doesn’t matter what you want, biology is always that bitch that guts you in the end?”

“Tony-“

“Newsflash, we’re not beholden to biology. We have the science to nuke biology, and redesign it to do whatever we want instead. Birth control? Suppressants? Sterilization? Science laughs in the face of biology.”

“Biology is a science…”

“You know what I mean!” Tony growled, storming off because the last thing he wanted to do was be around people right now. He wanted to go back to the sciences he liked, the sciences that didn’t deal with jacked up instincts and realities that could and would go die in a fire as far as Tony was concerned.

He had no need of them. Biology was a bitch.

An age old enemy to many that just did nothing but ruin lives through dysphoria, and through society believing that some were better than others or that what someone was or wasn’t had define their entire life.

Bruce sighed, it was probably just best to let Tony go and give him some time to cool off and then check back in on him.

He didn’t even remember what he needed in the kitchen, so he doubled back to his room, or he meant to at least. Bruce blinked upon seeing Steve’s fleeting form further down in the hallway. Suddenly, Bruce had the feeling that Steve had overheard some of that conversation, but likely not all of it.

Which would probably lead to more problems between him and Tony.

He sighed again. He didn’t sign up for all this drama.

~

Tony had been clear that he simply thought Steve was too much of an asshole to date and while it hadn’t been easy to deal with it, the last battle together made it seem like they could move pass it. Maybe he’d been too hopeful about this new world that things were slated to turn out as okay in the end.

Nevertheless he hadn’t expected to hear that Tony was disgusted at the idea of them together. He really didn’t know what he’d done to make Tony have such a low opinion on him or if it was merely he had misjudged Tony severely and whatever Steve thought he saw had just been a careful veneer he had fallen in love with rather than the man himself.

Steve felt unanchored, it wasn’t that big of a deal in hindsight. They hadn’t gotten along at first either, so the idea they might not be able to work it out as anything more than work friends shouldn’t be that drastic. But it just makes him feel like he doesn’t belong in this world.

That his only chance of happiness had gone down with him in that ice, and now he was just a ghost in a world that didn’t want him, only Captain America.

For once, he didn’t want to work out his problems through the gym.

He wasn’t angry at the world right now, he was just morose, and he didn’t want to do anything. He’d been on autopilot moving away from the kitchen knowing he didn’t dare to hear anymore and what that might do to his heart.

So, in this out of sorts case, it’s not exactly surprising, his senses aren’t all the way there. There’s only so much muscle memory can do when you’re not all the way there.

So Steve runs into Thor.

The impact stirs him and Thor both aware. Judging by the somewhat bleary look in Thor’s eyes, and the lack of any substantial clothing but boxers, it seems Thor had just woke up.

Distantly, Steve is pretty sure that they should be thanking Thor for wearing pants in communal settings. Since it seemed Asgard was much more open about nudity and the likes, or perhaps that was just Thor himself.

You made certain compromises when living together was the point.

“Steve?” Thor’s voice is gentle which is saying something given Thor is often loud without even meaning to. His voice booms and is usually always carried with a jovial note.

“Sorry about that.” Because Steve was raised with manners, and it was rude to run into someone and not at least apologize for the slight. “Wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

It’s the truth, but not the whole truth. He wants to get back to his room and just… Steve isn’t sure.

He’s not really sure what he needs.

Steve isn’t sure what the look on his face must be right now, but whatever it is, it makes Thor hug him. Thor is a big guy, so it’s a crushing, weighty hug, which even pulls him effortlessly off the ground a bit. It overwhelms his senses through touch alone, it’s hard to really focus as much on what’s upsetting him when he’s clearly being comforted.

Asgardians don’t have dynamics although Steve knows their gender is much more flexible there than it is on Earth. Changing things are just a matter of magic alone, easy and simple rather than an expensive, long process that takes time.

Steve envies that because it seems to make things endlessly more difficult on Earth. Though, perhaps that’s just his experience, maybe there are people who are happy with their dynamic and don’t use it yet another weapon to hurt others with.

He’s not really sure how long passes, time feels a bit distorted but Steve gradually starts to feel better. There’s something about touch that is intrinsically healing.

Steve finds the ground again as Thor lets him back down. “Better?”

“Better.” Steve nodded. “Thanks.”

“I hope you and Tony can work out your problems. It would be a shame if your problems forced the two of you apart.”

“…I do get upset over things that aren’t related to Tony.” This feels like a repeat with his conversation with Nat. Steve shouldn’t be surprised that perhaps his friends are going behind his back, conversing amongst themselves about how to fix the latest fight between him and Tony but still, he would think that they have better things to do.

Since he and Tony don’t let it interfere in the field.

It almost makes him long for battle, if that is the only place in the world that Tony can accept him thought Steve knows that’s a dangerous thought. He can’t fall in love with battle, he can’t only have that to anchor to his world, he can’t make a home out of the suffering.

Still, the world doesn’t feel as bad after a nice, long hug from Thor so Steve takes himself back to his room and busies his thoughts with art. He throws everything else to the wayside and just draws what comes to mind and lets his muse reign over any of his thoughts instead of dwelling on things he can’t change.

~

He doesn’t see Tony, but that’s not actually because Steve is trying to avoid him.

Tony had walled himself back up in his workshop again, no one has seen him since that discussion in the kitchen with Bruce which is… odd.

Did Bruce did tell Tony off? Is that why Tony is hiding?

Still, Steve shouldn’t care, but he finds himself concerned nonetheless. Maybe he had just misunderstood, maybe despite how it sounded, and how bad that had hurt him, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding.

There was plenty of media detailing things like this and showing how important it was to actually listen to a full conversation when you were eavesdropping. Granted those people didn’t have enhanced hearing like Steve, so he heard things sometimes without even meaning to pry.

The world is quiet and has no calls for the Avengers, so Steve just squashed down the feeling that something is amiss and attempts to enjoy the downtime.

~

“Miss Romanoff is requesting entrance.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking up at the ceiling as he just barely held onto the bottle of alcohol he had been sipping on with that knowledge. Natasha, he hadn’t expected Natasha of all people. Steve was usually the one to come to his workshop after he holed himself in it and refused to come out.

He feels, reluctantly, a little sad at the thought it’s not Steve coming down to check on him or to attempt to patch things off. Tony shook his head, it’s not like Steve is the only one who comes down here. Just the one that did the most often.

Sometimes it was Bruce, or sometimes it was Clint who liked to test tower weaknesses by worming himself through vents and other avenues that most people weren’t crazy enough to try and breach. No, Tony wasn’t bitter because Clint had managed to get through his security before, not at all.

Sometimes it was Thor when Jane contacted Tony to speak and when Thor wanted to surprise her by hiding in his lab only to then pop up on screen like the world most buff sunflower. Thor and Jane really were cute together. But that was beside the point.

So if it was Natasha, then she could probably sweet-talk Fury into some codes, if she didn’t have access to them already, so really, this was just a polite request.

She would be coming in one way or another.

So Tony choose to meet her on his own terms. “Alright. Let her in, but if it’s not her and someone else, don’t.”

Natasha entered the workshop by her lonesome thank god. The one over she gives him is far from subtle, but he supposed there was no point in her discovering that in a more roundabout way since Tony already knows why she’s here.

Or maybe not with how she crowds into his personal space in ways she hasn’t done which she was Natalie Rushman. SHIELD at least had gotten the memo about how he wasn’t interested in Alphas, thank god.

The alcohol is slowing his reactions a bit, he’s not entirely opposed if Natasha is making a move on him, he’s just confused.

Then the alcohol is pulled out of his hands and she downs the remainder like it’s a shot.

He has the belief that he should never, never go drinking with Natasha, he thinks this as if he hasn’t been a functioning alcoholic most his life.

“You can’t even spring for good alcohol?” She raised an eyebrow, her face scrunched up in disappointment much more blatant and open that she usually allows herself to be. The fact that she is being vulnerable in front of him, well, it makes him feel like a dick to humor lying to her.

“I thought if I kept none of the good stuff around I wouldn’t drink as much.” Tony admitted because distantly, he’s aware alcohol and him is a problem. He knows that he needs to cut that shit out, but superheroing is hard, and life is hard, and he just keeps… extending the deadline of when he needs to stop by.

He keeps making an excuses when he has copious amounts of alcohol like he’s still a fresh faced twenty year old who’s already been drinking for a few years at that moment, laws be damned.

Also because it’s his liver and he wants to kill it then he can.

He knows some people never believed that he was sick in the first place, that his reproductive illness was all just smoke and mirrors to hide the fact that he had just drunk himself into being incapable of reproducing. Which was… it showed a considerable lack of science on their end really.

Alcohol wasn’t really enough to render someone infertile, even if it could make it harder to conceive, it took a lot, A Lot of alcohol to get that point.

Honestly, it was idiots like that made him want to drunk himself into a stupor so he could temporarily forget their bullshit.

“Doesn’t seem to be working.” Natasha says, but not unkindly. “Bruce told me there was an incident. I thought we agreed you wouldn’t set things on fire outside of designated areas.”

Tony feels like he’s being chided, it would annoy him more if it wasn’t actually appropriate. 

Yeah, nothing would have happened but it was still reckless.

“In my defense,” Tony tried not to think about just how often in his life he’s had to say this words but then he’s always lived his life under the attack from something. His own demons, the press, villains… “They shouldn’t have printed that article. They didn’t even fact check why we ended up like that, they just wanted to publish their bullshit because of course, an Alpha and Omega have to be together, right?”

“People have printed I’m sleeping with all of the team.” Natasha pointed out. Her voice is not the note of calm composure it usually is rather there is true annoyance in her tone. “That I must have a whole gaggle of children running around with different fathers. If they bring you up at all, it’s to say with your dynamic, you must feel compelled to help out since that’s our purpose right? Only to have children? To have no dreams, no thoughts of our own?”

Natasha is a Beta, but she is still very much a woman, and as such, her and Tony’s struggles are rather identical.

He loves her a lot in this moment. Strange to think he could become so fond of the person that stabbed him in the neck with a needle after deceiving him for a while.

“I hate them. I hate it when we-“

“Have to play nice?” Natasha answered knowingly. “Having to smile and pretend what they said was not incredibly offensive and pretend you’re not imagine taking the nearest icepick that’s chilling the champagne, and stabbing through their eye?”

“I always go through the throat.” Repeatedly sometimes depending on how much anger Tony has under the surface. He’s played the game a long, long time.

Getting angry means they win.

Staying unaffected and calm always feels like they’re winning as well unfortunately.

“Lots of blood that way. You want to be efficient, it’s hard to make a clean getaway if you’re covered in blood.” Natasha is speaking from experience, Tony is sure.

It’s probably not wise to press more because it’s probably about some confidential mission or another that he can only know in snippets. Still, it means a lot to him that she is here, that she is sharing this with him regardless.

“Do you ever just get…. Tired of this being a thing?”

“That’s my secret. I’m always tired of it.”

Natasha is twisting Bruce’s signature words, but there’s a hint of smile on her lips despite the serious subject matter.

Tony wants to laugh, but he can’t find enough humor in him to do so. “Sometimes, I’m just like, can evolution meet me in the pit? But evolution is uncaring, and unfeeling of the horrors it unleashes. All it cares about is the continuation of a species, wellbeing need not apply. So in evolution’s eyes is a new presented kid get raped and becomes pregnant because of that by a bunch of monsters that claim that they were asking for it, because they were born a certain way, then evolution counts that as a win.”

“Who knows? Perhaps with how strange our lives are you can beat the living shit out of evolution down the road?” Natasha offered though there is something in her voice that is tight. And look in her eyes that he doesn’t like. “Although, I will say evolution will see nothing from me similar to you. Though my choice was taken from me.”

“You’re interfile, too?”

“Where I was, I had no need of children. Children can cause people to defect, or to become burden when bodies primary assignment is less about being a malleable weapon that brings death, and instead attempting to bring about life.”

“Oh.” Tony blinks, this is heavy, heavier than they thought they would get. “I’m sorry.”

It feels like he should say sorry. He’s always been the odd one that welcome infertility with open arms with how hard he fought to get it. But that had been his choice.

It’s very different if someone makes that decision for you. 

“I resent that the choice was taken away from me, but I do not believe children are for me, anyways.” Natasha shrugged, like it’s no real loss. Tony is pretty sure this also means Natasha has gone after anyone that had been involved in making her what she is today and making sure they’re no longer part of the living as well. “Besides, there are many, many ways to have a family. I like the family I have now.”

“Natasha-“

“Can it, Stark. That’s my quota of being mushy for the month. Pick yourself off the ground and work things out with Steve.”

And yes, Steve. Tony had temporarily forgot that was probably why she had come down in the first place to remind him to stop being an idiot but instead they ended up having a heart to heart.

Tony wondered if that was part of the plan, or not.

Natasha continued, her voice slightly louder as if she knows he’s getting lost in his head again. “He’s also a mess, I’m not sure what it is you did, but I’m not having you two idiots break apart my family because you have the collective communicative skills of gnats.”

~

“I’m not like Natasha, so I’m just going to be blunt like the blow to the head.” Clint said hopping onto the couch that Steve had been on listlessly watching tv as if it wasn’t in the middle of night when normal people should be sleeping.

Then again no one in this tower was normal.

He turned to look at Steve. “I hope that’s okay but since neither of you seem capable of resolving this yourself, apparently us wonder twins have to butt in.”

“I’m sorry?” Steve apologized but he wasn’t entirely sure what for.

Natasha usually talk him out of nonsense and he in turn talked Clint out of nonsense much in a similar vein to how he did Tony. So this was very strange. 

“I wasn’t born in this body, or even with this name. Now, there were always some assholes who were like it didn’t matter what I said I felt, or what hormones or surgery I got, what I was born as, that’s what I’d always be. But it wasn’t nothing compared to the uphill battle I had when I wanted to change my dynamic.”

That had been a protoscience back in Steve’s time, they had been tinkering with it, but it wasn’t very common and the price point alone that meant it was out of many, many people’s hands. It meant that they could usually only mask dynamic into the one they wanted, than change it without a doubt.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this.” Steve said, carefully knowing the weight that it takes for someone to afford this level of trust to another.

“You might be from the 40s, but you’re really nowhere near as much of an asshole as you could be.” Clint said sagely, feeling wise for once. He knew the feeling wouldn’t last. “Don’t get me wrong, you are stubborn as hell, sometimes you don’t like anyone’s plans but your own, but we wouldn’t have followed you, if you weren’t a good man.”

“I thought Tony was the only one who called me an asshole.”

“Yeah, Tony talks about your ass a lot, doesn’t he?” Clint snickered. “He’s never been afraid to challenge you on just about any call you make. Sometimes that’s because he’s the asshole, other times it’s because you’re being too rigid. That and I’m pretty sure he just likes the sound of his voice sometimes.”

“He does have a nice voice.” Steve agreed and then noticed the stretch of unnatural silence as amusement and annoyance in equal measure flickered in Clint’s eyes.

“Yeah, this isn’t going to turn into let’s talk about all the things I love about Tony Stark game. I don’t want to play that game. Like I get it, I love him too but not like you, but that’s not my point.”

“…Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ Steve flushed but Clint cut him off.

“It’s fine. Like I said, you’re not so much of an asshole that you’re going to get upset if I’m trans.” Clint shrugged. He said that evenly but Clint couldn’t deny there was some fear in his heart, too ingrained to ever leave him properly whenever he let someone new in about his secret.

Steve was safe, he knew Steve was safe, but he hadn’t been able to exhale properly until this point, hearing it for himself.

“It still costs a lot even nowadays to transition and I was broke kid with a smart mouth.” Clint clicked his tongue, he didn’t like revisiting memory lane but there was no other way to tell this story.

“It didn’t exactly take long until eventually I fell into the wrong crowd. I was angry, really angry at the world because it saw me as something I wasn’t, and people kept telling me to my face that I was wrong, and they were right about who I was.”

Steve could feel some similarities between Clint as a child and him, though the reasons would have been different, it seemed like both of them started fights that they couldn’t finish.

“So I was a hellion child, and that was even before the thought of dynamics got into my head. There was just no room for it in my head. But of course, it comes knocking as part of puberty all the same…”

Clint took a deep breath and leaned forward. Steve placed a hand on his back, attempting to give off some semblance of comfort because whatever he had to say next wasn’t going to be easy.

“I had a brother.” Clint revealed knowing full well he had never given so much as a hint that he had grown up as anything as only child to anyone else in the tower aside from Natasha. But Natasha knew all of his secrets already. “Or I guess, I still have one, you could say I could understand Thor and Loki’s problems to a degree. The willingness to extend a hand out, to want to hope in your heart, that they’ll stop, that they care at all about you. And I know that sinking feeling in your heart, when time and time again you’ve been let down and hurt because of their decisions.”

Clint paused, feeling Steve’s hand still on his back, a reassuring and warm presence. Someone who had his back, that would protect him, that would take care of him. All the things that Barney should have been but wasn’t. 

Clint bit the inside of his cheek, the taste of blood familiar, grounding as he carried on because he wasn’t done yet. “My brother was supposed to have protected me, he was supposed to have been there for me because it was my first heat and he wasn’t. He said he would make sure I would be okay during it, that nothing would happen to me unlike the stories you hear all the time.”

“Clint-“ Steve said, having a clear understanding of where this was going and not wanting to force Clint to talk about it, to re-open that wound for his sake.

Clint raised his hand, a sign for Steve to stop and so he said nothing more.

“He wasn’t there, but someone else was only they weren’t there because of the kindness of their heart. They were there because I was weak, and vulnerable and they wanted to take advantage of that. And they had friends.”

Clint could never give a perfect recall of what happened, sometimes trauma branded things into your head, and other times, it removed them entirely. It was a mix of both of these things for him, personally. “I don’t remember everything, some part of me wanted me and I wanted to kill myself for it. I wanted to curse every single thing that made this happen in the first place. When I stopped wanting to kill myself, I wanted to kill them. I remember enough of their faces to do that. Only problem was well, one of the bastards left me with a ‘gift’.”

Clint remembered that part with clarity. That nightmare kept continuing, that something was growing inside of him, the remnant of that night coming back to haunt him in the most permanent way there was. Life.

He’s long since left home at that point, having naively thought that Barney would have been better that foster systems because they’d be together. How naïve he’d been. So there he was underage, far from home, and well and truly alone.

He didn’t have means to raise a child and to be perfectly blunt, he just hadn’t wanted to raise one, either. He expected that like all things in his life to be an impossible dream, to be just another burden he was set to bear. 

“The one time in my entire life, the system didn’t fail me was in helping me get an abortion. They didn’t judge me, they didn’t tell me I was wrong for doing this, they saw me as a child, and as a victim that had made the best decision for themselves. They held my hand, and told me it was going to be okay. For a moment, it was like my mother was still alive, that I was safe, and I was whole, and nothing was going to hurt me anything.”

Some part of that might have been hormones exiting his systems or the drugs, but for that moment alone had been enough for him. That had kept him going for years on, that singular feeling of not being alone, of being protected. Not that how life had ended up for him, though. “Of course, I was a dumb kid then, I didn’t understand that life would only get worse from there, but for a moment, for just a moment, I had hope.”

Steve doesn’t ask, he probably should given the subject matter, but he doesn’t and just pulls Clint to his chest and hugs the archer in a crushing but hopefully comforting hug.

There’s a sob or two against his chest that Steve decides he doesn’t hear, that he won’t address because sometimes the kindest thing to do is to pretend that you didn’t hear anything. He holds Clint for a while, giving him whatever he needs and Steve fights back his own tears.

It’s inhumane that Clint had to suffer through something like this in the first place, that this sort of thing still happened, and as upset as he is, as willingly as he is to shed his tears with Clint. Steve is angrier than anything, that nothing had seemingly changed.

That nothing is going to change and that he’s part of the problem in the first place too.

Clint pressed against him, a clear sign for Steve to relent and so he does. Clint rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and Steve pointedly looks elsewhere to make him feel more exposed.

“It’s not all bad, anyways.” Clint smiled, feeling particularly proud of the next achievement he was going to share. “I did kill those guys. So I don’t have to deal with them still running around in the world, the problem was of course it was less self-defense by the time I got to it, because there’s really only so much you can say when you shoot an arrow through someone’s eyes or groin.”

They hadn’t deserved a quick death, so Clint hadn’t gave them that. If he had to suffer, so did they.

It was only fair.

Although, that did change his career track. Not that he had many prospects as a dropout. “So that got me started on the mercenary life. Didn’t really care about age, dynamic, or gender, just cared about my ability to kill things until they were dead.”

It makes sense then why Clint choose to spar Natasha, that he had likely seen himself in herself and if he had gotten the chance to clean up his act, then why didn’t she deserve the same?

“The money was good, too. It was blood money, but I could transition. At a certain point, if you throw enough money at a problem, it tends to get resolved so Stark isn’t wrong about that.”

“And you’re comfortable now?” Steve asked, hoping that it wasn’t out of line.

“I like transitioned later than I had thought I would be but I am a male Beta now.” Clint nodded, feeling secure and safe in his identity that he had never been before. It had been years like this, and everyday it was still nice to wake up in a body like this.

“Whatever I was, that’s not me. Sometimes I wonder, if I would have transited, if I would have felt more comfortable in my body, if the world was nicer, if there weren’t people who made such a big deal out of it.”

Steve could relate, but he didn’t voice that aloud. Not wanting to detract from Clint’s speech even if there was clearly a reason that he had revealed all this to him. One that Steve understood relatively well now knowing more of Clint’s past.

“Nothing ever made me feel as vulnerable as being a girl or being an Omega. I killed people for a living, but I still felt more frightened as a child than I ever did after the fact. You grow hearing that you’re lesser, and the world tries to convince you that you are equal, that any slight you see is an overreaction, that you’re being too emotional.” Clint rolled his eyes, he had always hated that one.

Judging by the look on Steve’s face, he was equally as unenthused about that as him. Ah, good old righteous Captain America.

“But then again, I really hated having boobs,” Clint patted down his nice flat chest, free of excess fat that drove people insane. He never quite understood that craze. “I mean, you can have boobs and not be a woman, but for me personally it was a nightmare, and that whole heat nonsense. Who has time for that? I don’t. So I don’t think it matters now, I’m much happier how I am and you know fuck anyone who has a problem with me.”

“I have your back.”

“I know.” Clint nodded. “I’m grateful for it. I have yours too, if you ever want to chat about your past.”

~

“I don’t like playing therapist.” Clint was glad he had gotten through that with not nearly the amount of tears he thought he’d go through. Granted it was strange to be crying about his past rather than his present for once.

Maybe that was a sign he was starting to move on.

That was a nice, mental positive thought for once. 

“Neither of us have been to med school.” Natasha pointed out as she felt like that reminder was necessary.

“Says you.”

“If you were there for a mark then it doesn’t count.”

“Well, damn.” Clint clicked his tongue. “But I did fit in with the med students, had the same dark undereye circles and the wish that I might get by a bus so I could come into a large settlement of money. Or you know death. Either way, I win!”

“The coffee was good?” Natasha asked knowingly, given Clint shared a very familiar weakness with Tony going by the name of coffee.

“Oh my god, the coffee was divine.” Clint clasped his hands together just thinking about, dreaming of the remnants of that taste still lingering on his tongue though it had been years. “It was like the coffee gods had blessed that place. Do you know how sad I was when I had to leave? I really thought about stealing the coffee machine and making a run for it.”

“Dumbass Assassin Gets Caught Thanks To Love Of Coffee.” Natasha snickered. “That would have made for an interesting headline, admittedly. Would have gone out in style.”

“I’m all about style.” Clint laughed. “If we’re laughing, I guess we’re good?”

“Well, I’m not on the verge of an entire breakdown.” She had been rather honest with Tony, but still guarded in some regards. Her past was her own, and she could only reveal too much before Tony would get too distract cheering her up than focusing on Steve.

She hoped Clint didn’t make a similar mistake with Steve. “You?”

“Surprisingly no. Cap gives good hugs, though.”

“All I got was cheap alcohol out of mine.” Not that the amount had really done anything to her. While Tony was basically an alcoholic, well, even he would have a hard time matching up with her endurance. “Speaking of alcohol, you want to get something to eat?”

“Eat as in we actually go get something to eat or eat as in hey, Clint, case this joint with me so don’t get wholly distracted by the food and pay attention?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Judging by the fact the press worsened this whole shit, I think this is we’re about to go remind some people about journalistic integrity in a way that SHIELD can’t trace back to us.”

“Much more than just a pretty face.” Natasha patted his cheek.

“Yeah, yeah.” Clint shrugged her off. “As long as you’re footing the bill.”

“Tony’s footing the bill, actually.” Since this was on Tony’s behalf, it was only fair that they got dinner out of the ordeal. Not that Natasha didn’t trust SI to do a good job, or more to the point Natasha knew how terrifying Pepper could be.

Natasha preferred a hands on approach when someone was stupid enough to harm her family.

“Oh yay, free food then! My favorite.”

“You are literally just like a dog. Give one meatball and suddenly you’re loyal for life.”

“Depends on the meatball.”

~

Steve hadn’t really ever met for it to get so out of control. Before when he was smaller, no one had ever second-guessed that he’d been anything but an Omega.

He was small, he was scrawny but he was also so incredibly sick that he wasn’t much thought of as an Omega either. His body was fighting of a whole horde of diseases and inflictions that he just hadn’t really presented traditionally.

His internal biology was consistent with an Omega, but he had never had a heat. He’d been too sick for that. Body prioritizing alive status above fertility in the hopes that one day, it might happen. But it never did, he never got better until he reached the army.

Even then, the serum and all its mysteries, it had been assumed that Steve’s dynamic would change with it.

It hadn’t but no one looked at Captain America as tall and as musculature as he was and thought Omega. Everyone assumed Alpha and given since it was in the midst of a war, he had been basically encouraged to give the illusion of such.

That people might feel discouraged if an Omega was leading the fight.

Like dynamic had anything, anything at all to do with skill.

After the ice, the charade had continued. His status as Alpha was put down as a matter of record and somewhere, somehow it had been marked down that he’d been an Alpha since birth. Probably someone who thought the truth of the matter, that he’d been an Omega all along was shameful, and something to be hidden away.

But life after the ice wasn’t easy, and he just hadn’t come clean about it because he knew what would happen. People would second guess him, question his judgement, or assume that he would back down without a fight because apparently was in his nature.

Like he had ever backed down from a fight in his entire life.

The problem isn’t necessarily a problem but in hindsight, it does sneak up on him.

“While you are not required to attend, you agreed previously to attend this fundraising event with sir.” Jarvis reminds him that evening.

It’s then that it comes back to him.

Before he asked Tony out, there had been something Tony invited him to, a fundraiser done in his mother’s name. Steve had agreed, he didn’t really like how Tony showed up after the fact, usually drunk and then promptly squirreling himself in the workshop for a few days before someone had to drag him out.

Tony seemed to do better at events if he wasn’t the only Avenger there, but it wasn’t quite like their presence was necessary when it was related to Tony’s company or name in some part.

“I said I would.” Steve knows things are still awkward between them, but maybe they can patch things up on the car ride over. If not, well, he can still watch Tony’s back.

They’re still teammates despite everything.

Tony had picked out the suit for him for this event, having insisted previously that Steve needed a few more suits and something other to wear rather than simply the military attire that SHIELD fitted him with.

The tailor had been one of Tony’s own, but Steve had remembered that day vividly. Tony had touched him a lot, and it had prompted him to finally have the guts to confess to Tony because he thought maybe, maybe just his interest wasn’t one-sided.

It seems like a long time ago, but it was just two weeks ago, and it’s been a week and a half since Tony rejected him.

“Very well.” Jarvis sounded pleased. “I shall let sir know to expect you.”

“Thank you, Jarvis.”

~

It feels like a punch in the face seeing Steve look as good as he does. It’s not like that wasn’t the plan, he had wanted to dress Steve in something nice, and something not SHIELD if he’s being honest, their sense of style isn’t something he agrees with. Even if he does have to admit Steve does look good in uniform, Steve has to have other outfits, he just does okay?

The event had snuck up on him, Tony had been to preoccupied with well, himself, if he’s being honest to have remembered he invited Steve.

Only Jarvis had managed to remind him of such the day of.

He hadn’t expected Steve to still want to come, but maybe it’s just out of some misguided sense of loyalty.

Tony tries for casual. “You look nice.”

It’s not a lie, Steve does indeed look nice, and he’s going to be hit on shamelessly at the gala. Originally, Tony had wanted Steve to say at his side all night entertaining him but that’s probably not going to happen now.

“You have good taste.” Steve greeted him with a compliment.

Tony was unprepared for that and coughs awkwardly in it’s wake. Words catching in his throat. “About earlier, I was an asshole. Bruce told me you might have overheard the wrong thing. I just wanted to say I’m not disgusted by you, it’s just the idea because of how we are, that we must be together that bothered me.”

“Oh.” That’s more of a relief that Steve was expecting. His heart feels lighter than it has in days. “I should have eavesdropped for the entire conversation then.”

“Probably.” Tony laughed.

Steve smiled. It’s nice to hear Tony laughing again. “I’m sorry too. I think I misunderstood you. I already knew you were infertile, that wasn’t what I was trying to say.”

“Boss.” Happy interrupted. “We got to get going on or we’ll be fashionably late to your usual fashionably late.”

“Really, Tony?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

“Look, Steve, almost none of them show up on time, and it’s my party yeah, but I’m not showing up an entertaining like two people for an hour. I’m just not.”

Their conversation doesn’t drift back to what Steve was trying to say while in the limo. Steve lets it go, figuring he needs to explain to Tony a few things anyways and wipe the slate clean and then confess. But he doesn’t want to do that at such a public outing anyways.

The atmosphere between them isn’t tense any longer, it feels like normal again and Steve just wants to breathe that in for a while.

The opulence of these events never quite stop surprising Steve. He gets that it’s part of the allure, that it has to be a well decorated and funded event but this much money throw at things like this is probably always going to sit with him wrong.

He knows Tony will get a lot of fundraisers tonight.

That this is a charity that actually uses their funds for charity rather than just lining pockets.

He doesn’t stay at Tony’s side the entire night, he doesn’t want to crowd the man, he wants to give Tony a certain amount of space because he doesn’t want to presume that just because they’re good again that it means Tony accepted his confession or shares in the same feelings.

It happens when Steve is talking to someone else, he’s out of earshot for a normal human but well he’s never been human that he overhears it.

“Omega.”

Something about the tone puts Steve on edge, as it’s near where Tony last once, whilst it’s possible they’re addressing someone else. Or perhaps even someone they know, it’s been used as a term of endearment before but it’s never failed to make Steve’s skin crawl and make his hands itch with the desire to punch someone who assumes that it’s fine to refer to him by dynamic alone.

Even after everyone began to think of him as an Alpha, he hated being addressed like that. 

He has a name.

“I have a name, you know.” And that is Tony’s voice. Tony who apparently feels the same in this regard isn’t strange given his reaction to the story that the press ran a while ago. “I know you must be afraid of wearing it out, right? But how am I to know you’re addressing me when there’s very many of us here?”

It’s an effort to keep his voice cordial and light but Tony feels like he manages it rather well by how there’s no weird silence after the fact. Even a few giggles.

“Captain Rogers lets you speak that way? I would have thought a man of his standing would have kept his Omega in line.”

Tensions begins to thread in the room as the man had raised his voice, catching on passerbys who looking on with interest of what just might happen next.

Steve is inclined to do something, to say something but he doesn’t want to come to Tony’s side and make it look like he doesn’t trust Tony to handle himself. Right now, Tony still thinks he’s an Alpha after all, as well as everyone else.

If he does anything then well, he overshadows Tony. 

“Can’t believe everything you read. I, for once, do not belong to anyone. And I don’t do Alphas, as everyone seems inclined to forget.”

“It’s natural-“

“Common doesn’t equal natural.” Tony cuts him off. “I get it, easy mistake to make. Lots of people use them interchangeably.”

“What would you even know about natural? The very alcohol you covet let to you being incapable of fulfilling your very reason for existence.”

Steve really wants to punch him now, but if he punches someone full strength that might equal death. It sits with him though, because he was a sickly Omega long beforehand he became healthy and heard the same nonsense about why should he exist at all if he couldn’t have children?

That and he wants to jump in on Tony’s defense because he knows alcohol didn’t do anything to Tony. That he’d been sick to and used sterilization as a way to deal with his disease

“Is there enough alcohol in the world to make it so I forget you exist, I wonder?” Tony downs the glass of alcohol he has in one long sip. He makes a pleased noise. “Nope, you’re still here.”

Tony flagged down a waitress, who meekly stepped forward no doubt uncertain of the tense atmosphere. “Can I get another glass? Just keep them coming, thank you, you’re a peach.” To them, Tony gives a blinding, bright smile that’s full of genuine warmth before he returns a scathing glance to the man that has yet to move.

“Ah, you’re still here. Can’t you read the mood and see that no one wants you here?”

“How dare you. I’m a respectful, renowned Alpha-“

“Who cares about your dynamic? You’re a bigoted asshole.”

It’s only when it looks like violence is on the table that Steve steps in, he plants himself between the man and between Tony. Few people see him and still feel like starting a fight.

“You can leave on your own. Or I can escort you out. Your choice.”

Steve really wants to escort the asshole out, who only digs their grave all that much further by continuing to shout. “You’re unbecoming of an Alpha!”

“Well, I’m also not Alpha.”

That gets more of a reaction than anything else. There’s shocked gasps and surprised written on many, many faces. He can’t see Tony’s right now, but he wished he could.

“Why are all of you acting so surprised? It’s not like he ever said he was an Alpha.” Tony feels like an idiot in that moment because well, he assumed, he really just assumed that was what was going on here, but it wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

Steve had his back, so he had to have Steve’s back regardless of his confusion.

Steve does pointedly escort the man off the premises, and Tony talks with his guests in the aftermath, bringing their minds away from that nonsense and onto better, brighter things like what their money could do and how nice they all look tonight.

Later on, after Tony is done schmoozing and Steve is back, they talk on one of the balcony.

Secluded and all private right. “So I’m an asshole.”

“I’m pretty sure you already told me that today.” Steve smiled easily. “It’s not like I ever hinted at anything differently. Some part of the blame is on me, but I don’t think I really want to hide it anymore. Granted, I’m not sure how many people are going to believe that Captain America is an Omega.”

“So we have more in common that I thought.” Tony replied.

“We do. You know I never had a heat in my life?”

“No.” Tony blinked. “I heard it could happen, though. Given how sick you were before, that’s not strange. The serum didn’t fix it?”

“No. But honestly from what I’ve heard about them, I don’t think I’d be interested anyways.”

“You know what you said is going to spread into a media frenzy right?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “I could try and contain this for you, temporarily, if you want to have some time to prepare yourself.”

“No.” Steve shook his head. “I’ve spent long enough hiding. Besides, I’m surprised to hear this from you, aren’t you looking forward to how many people we’re going to piss off when they find out none of the Avengers are Alphas?”

“God, you’re so right. They’re going to fume and pin all our mistakes on a lack of leadership.”

“As much fun as it is to piss off bigots, I hope that when more people know the truth they’ll feel confident and happy.”

“If you wouldn’t treat Captain America this way but would any other Omega, then you’re a bigot. Mmmm.” Tony could see the taglines now. “I smell a new catchphrase.”

“As happy I as am about that, Steve Rogers still wants to know if you’re like to go out on a date.”

“Well, since I don’t Alphas, and you’re not an Alpha, that is a resounding yes.”

“Swell.”

“Although, there’s something I want to do before our first date, hope that’s okay.” Tony pressed his lips against Steve’s. And Steve, well, who is he to deny Tony anything?

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Jay's prompt of 'Omega/Omega fic where Steve is an Omega but everyone assumes he's an Alpha because he's Captain America and all muscley. When he flirts with Tony, Tony isn't receptive because he doesn't swing that way with Alphas.' 
> 
> And then I sorta just ran away with it when exploring the hellworld I think a/b/o would be. 
> 
> So here's to you Jay for the original inspiration, and to ven, _the_ a/b/o connoisseur who needled me into finishing this with love and support.


End file.
